MILITARY APPLICATIONS OF WEATHER MODIFICATIONIn 2025 US
aerospace forces can "own the weather" by capitalizing on emerging
technologies and focusing development of those technologies to warfighting
applications. Such a capability offers the warfighter tools to shape
the battlespace in ways never before possible. It provides opportunities
to impact operations across the full spectrum of conflict and is
pertinent to all possible futures. The purpose of this paper is
to outline a strategy for the use of a future weather modification
system to achieve military objectives rather than to provide a detailed
technical road map. A high risk/high
reward endeavor, weather modification offers a dilemma not unlike
the splitting of the atom. While some segments of society will always
be reluctant to examine controversial issues such as weather modification,
the tremendous military capabilities that could result from this
field are ignored at our own peril. From enhancing friendly operations
or disrupting those of the enemy via small-scale tailoring of natural
weather patterns, to complete dominance of global communications
and counter-space control, weather modification offers the warfighter
a wide range of possible options to defeat or coerce an adversary.
Technology
advancements in five major areas are necessary for an integrated
weather modification capability: (1) advanced nonlinear modeling
techniques, (2) computational capability, (3) information gathering
and transmission, (4) a global sensor array, and (5) weather intervention
techniques. Some intervention tools exist today and others may be
developed and refined in the future. Current technologies
which will mature over the next thirty years will offer anyone who
has the necessary resources the ability to modify weather patterns
and their corresponding effects, at least on the local scale. Current
demographic, economic, and environmental trends will create global
stresses that provide the impetus necessary for many countries or
groups to turn this weather modification ability into a capability.
In the US, weather modification will likely become a part of national
security policy with both domestic and international applications.
Our government will pursue such a policy, depending on its interests,
at various levels. These levels could include: unilateral actions,
participation in a security framework such as NATO, membership in
an international organization such as the UN, or participation in
a coalition. Assuming that in 2025 our national security strategy
includes weather modification, its use in our national military
strategy will naturally follow. Besides the significant benefits
an operational capability would provide, another motivation to pursue
weather modification is to deter and counter potential adversaries.
In this paper
we show that appropriate application of weather modification can
provide battlespace dominance to a degree never before imagined.
In the future, such operations will enhance air and space superiority
and provide new options for battlespace shaping and battlespace
awareness. "The technology is there, waiting for us to pull it all
together;" in 2025 we can "Own the Weather."

A
RESEARCH PAPER PRESENTED TO AIR FORCE 2025

2025 is a study
designed to comply with a directive from the chief of staff of the
Air Force to examine the concepts, capabilities, and technologies
the United States will require to remain the dominant air and space
force in the future. Presented on 17 June 1996, this report was
produced in the Department of Defense school environment of academic
freedom and in the interest of advancing concepts related to national
defense. The views expressed in this report are those of the authors
and do not reflect the official policy or position of the United
States Air Force, Department of Defense, or the United States government.
This report
contains fictional representations of future situations/scenarios.
Any similarities to real people or events, other than those specifically
cited, are unintentional and are for purposes of illustration only.
This publication
has been reviewed by security and policy review authorities, is
unclassified, and is cleared for public release.

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